TLE Newsletter-- November

November 2015

Recent TLE Developments and Next Steps

The TLE Commission has been researching and discussing several different measurement tools which emphasize student academic growth.  Information was gathered from over 40 different states in an effort to recommend quantitative tools which will be informative for our educators and benefit student learning.  Through the help of researchers from the Southern Regional Education Board and the South Central Comprehension Center at the University of Oklahoma, six measurement tools were identified.  The TLE Commission conducted working groups with educators and researchers in order to provide an in-depth analysis of each tool.  Development teams consisting of superintendents, principals, and educators from across 35 districts were created in order to offer feedback and real world perspective to each tool.  At the conclusion of the November 5th TLE Commission meeting, three tools were recommended for measuring student academic growth.  These tools were:

·         Teacher-created benchmark assessments, which will allow educators to conduct pre- and post-test analysis of student growth at the local level.

·         OSDE-approved diagnostic assessments, which increases capacity for educators by allowing them to measure student growth with approved assessments they are already using at the school level.

·         Teacher portfolios, which focus specifically on student academic growth while allowing for flexibility for teachers in non-traditional subject areas to still quantitatively measure their teaching effectiveness.

Over the next two months, the State Board of Education will analyze this list as well as the TLE process.  The final goal is to develop a quantitative component to the teacher evaluation system that our educators and administrators will find valuable and will improve student learning while minimizing the impact on day-to-day activities.

If you have any questions regarding either component of TLE, please contact the TLE office or view Senate Bill 706 by clicking here.